​Applicants do NOT need to be residents of North Carolina to marry in Wake County or North Carolina

A premarital medical examination is NOT required

Two witnesses are required for all marriage ceremonies

Marriages may be performed by an ordained minister of any religious denomination, a minister authorized by a church, a magistrate, or a federally- or state-recognized Indian Nation or tribe

Marriage licenses are issued between 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding Wake County-observed holidays. It is necessary for couples to arrive at the office before 4:45 p.m. to complete the paperwork necessary to obtain a marriage license

If you are obtaining a marriage license or birth or death certificate on a Friday or at the end of the month, please allow extra time for processing as these are high volume days in the Registry. Thank you for your patience during these peak days

Civil CeremoniesCivil ceremonies are performed by magistrates at the following times and locations:

Marriages are performed in the Wake County Justice Center by a magistrate Monday through Friday (except holidays). The fee is $20 (cash only) and no appointment is necessary. Marriage ceremonies are performed in courtroom 901 between 10:00 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. If you need further assistance, please call 919-792-4900 to leave a voicemail message for the magistrate. Someone will return your call.

If you wish to be married in the evening, the weekend or on a holiday, the Magistrate's Office within the Wake County Hammond Road Detention Center can provide this service. The Hammond Road Detention Center is located at 3301 Hammond Road in Raleigh NC. Weddings are performed at Hammond Road between 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and between 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. weekends and holidays. Ceremonies are performed on a first-come, first-served basis, and no appointments are necessary. The marriage fee is $20, and must be paid in cash. If you need further assistance, please call 919-255-7700.

Note: Your Social Security card or W-2 form AND a current ID with your name and date of birth is required to get a marriage license. See Age Requirements.